It takes a lot of bravery to decide that you aren’t able to parent a baby. You may have initially planned to raise your baby, but now find yourself overwhelmed and not sure what to do days or weeks after your child’s birth.
When looking at your options, you may have found something called “safe haven laws.” These laws provide a safe way for you to relinquish custody of your child, rather than make drastic choices that could endanger the life of your child.
Safe haven baby adoptions in Iowa work like this: if your baby is under 14 days old, you may relinquish your custody at a hospital that’s open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You must place your child in the physical custody of an employee on duty (there are no “baby drop off boxes” in Iowa), and they may request medical information about your infant and yourself. You are not legally required to give this information, but it may help with your baby’s adoption process.
After you leave your child, the hospital employee will notify the Department of Human Services, who will then take your child into its care and start the adoption process.
Before you choose to place your baby for a safe haven adoption in Iowa, you should think about what’s best for your baby — and know that there are other options. If you want your child to be quickly adopted into a safe, supportive family, your best option is an adoption through the law offices of the Nelson Law Firm, PLLC.
Even if your child is older than the safe haven limitation of 14 days, you can still place your child for adoption with an adoption professional like Nelson Law Firm. The adoption process is completely free for you, and we will help you through every step. Some of the other positives of choosing adoption are:
- Getting to choose and meet the adoptive family for your baby
- Watching your child grow up through open adoption communication
- Free counseling from our law firm and references to licensed social workers and counselors
While choosing to drop your baby off at a hospital for a safe haven adoption in Iowa may seem like the quickest solution to the overwhelming emotions you’re feeling, we highly encourage you to consider an adoption through the Nelson Law Firm in the best interest of your baby.
If you’d like to start your adoption process in Iowa, please contact the Nelson Law Firm at 319-291-6161 or online here. We can talk with you about your adoption choices for absolutely free and with no obligation; we just want you to make the best decision for you and your child.